Comments

bantering n дружнє кепкування;

banter v кепкувати по-дружньому;

obscene adj образливий; непристойний.

2. Colombia

Telecommunications. In Colombia, the phone is not used as much as it is in information-entered cultures like the United States. An important problem is taken care of in person or on paper. A phone call is an inappropriate way to introduce oneself.

Representation. The character of the person who represents a business is more important than the character of the organisation he represents. This means that in the initial contact the most commonly asked question is: "Can I do business with this person?", not "Can we do business with this company?" Business relationships operate on a personal level and last a longer time than in the United States.

Personal Connections. In Colombia, the better connected a person is to important decision makers, the more attractive he or she is as a business partner. The more associations a person has, the more power that person has.

Personal Connections. As far as personal relationships are important in Colombia, one expects to spend some time in the beginning to get to know each other. Trust and loyalty are the foundation of good relationships. They don’t develop in a day. In the first contact, time is spent getting to know each other. A dinner talking about general interests, not about business, is a common way to begin a relationship. The relationship may develop with small favours, frequent visits, and time.

Comments

decision maker n той, хто приймає рішення;

favour n (pl) знаки уважності, прихильності.

3. France

Conversation. Good topics of conversation include: where you are from, your interests, food, cultures of other countries, and sports. Topics to avoid include: how much things cost, what someone does for a living, prejudices about Americans, salary levels, and questions about a person’s family.

Punctuality. Although individuals in southern France may be relatively relaxed about meeting time, it still is important to be respectful of your contact’s time.

Public manners. While the French may stand closer to each other when talking than North Americans would, it is common to stand at an arm’s length when discussing business. Your hands should be visible at all times, including when you are seated at a table.

Business entertaining. In France, the home is a private place where only close friends or family are invited. Colleagues usually socialize in restaurants or other public places. Business entertainment is very different from social entertainment, it is much more formal. It is usually limited to a business lunch or dinner in a restaurant. For social entertainment, the French rarely throw parties. It is much more common to have a small dinner party where everyone sits down together to eat. The informal come-and-go style of a party is not popular. It is considered acceptable to invite your French partner to lunch. If your French partner initiates the invitation, it is still in order for you to act as the host.

Although it is uncommon for alcoholic beverages to be consumed during lunch in the United States, this is very common in France. The French consider wine to be an aid to digestion and to act as a stimulant to the appetite. The French, as their reputation holds, truly enjoy the art of dining. Just as many Americans "eat to live", the French seem to "live to eat". Business meals are not, as a rule, hurried meetings.

If you are invited to the home of a French associate and you bring flowers, be sure to take an odd number, and choose a flower other than chrysanthemums. Business should be discussed only after dinner, when coffee and, perhaps, brandy are served.

Seating etiquette dictates that the host and hostess sit at the centre of the table opposite each other. Guests are then seating in descending order of importance to the left and right. You will not be offered a bread plate. When eating bread, you may place it on the table next to your main course plate.

Social Classes. In France there is some emphasis on class differences. People usually do not socialize across social and economic classes. Different levels of the company, such as secretarial and executive levels, are associated with different classes. So, in office life, secretaries and executives are not expected to socialize together.

The Role of the Boss in the Office Life. The boss represents authority. The boss should not be too casual or social with his employees. If the boss is too relaxed, the employees lose their respect for his or her authority.